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Orlando, Florida – June 28, 2023

Certiport, a ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ VUE business and the leading provider of performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners, today announced the winners of the 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist US National Championship. The champions topped 185 finalists at the live competitive event in Orlando, Florida, and the first-place winners will head to the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Orlando, Florida, USA in August. This year marks 21 years since the competition began in 2002.

From across the US, more than 217,000 students ages 13 to 22 entered one of six competition tracks by submitting a qualified, passing score on the following certification exams: Microsoft Office Specialist Word, Microsoft Office Specialist Excel^®, and Microsoft Office Specialist PowerPoint^®. First-place winners receive an $3,000 USD cash prize, second place $2,000 USD, and third place $1,000 USD.

Finalists were given a printed copy of a document, spreadsheet, or presentation to recreate along with printed instructions and digital assets. They were then scored according to the accuracy of the recreation compared to the original. The champions in each program, along with a chaperone, have won a trip to participate in the 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Orlando, Florida, USA July 31 – August 2, 2023, where they will compete against over a hundred other finalists from countries across the globe.

The Microsoft Office Specialist US National Champions are as follows:

Microsoft Word (Office 2019)

1. Joy Skaggs, Arkansas
2. Andrew Chuang Saladin, Florida
3. Brady Schultz, Utah

Microsoft Excel (Office 2019)

1. Mason Braithwaite, Utah
2. Benjamin Rands, Idaho
3. Kairi Kramer, Ohio

Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019)

1. Alexandra Occhiuto, New York
2. Cayden Aures, Wisconsin
3. John Reed, Ohio

Microsoft Word (Office 2016)

1. Nicholas Keller, Virginia
2. Jackson Sinclair, Iowa
3. Jonas Lee, Washington

Microsoft Excel (Office 2016)

1. Javier Hamilton, Virginia
2. Helen Chen, Florida
3. Keira Ammon, New Jersey

Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2016)

1. Celia Cole, West Virginia
2. Hunter Liss, Nebraska
3. Samuel Latham, Tennessee

"We are exceptionally proud of these students from across the US that will be joining us at the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship later this year," said Craig Bushman, General Manager, Certiport. "These students have demonstrated that through hard work, persistence, and dedication they’ve gained enough skills to confidently compete in a high-pressure environment. Their Microsoft Office Specialist certifications and participation in this competitive event will be the first step to a successful career."

"The Microsoft Office Specialist National and World Championships have been giving students the incredible opportunity to test their technical skills and knowledge for 21 years," said Rick Herrmann, Vice President of Worldwide Public Sector Education at Microsoft. "Every student in this competition is a winner because they’ve earned a globally recognized credential that will help propel them to brighter careers and educational opportunities. We look forward to seeing how these students leverage their Microsoft Office productivity skills in the future."

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